Friday Night Lights, based on the non-fiction book and film of the same name, is a television series about a high school football team in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas. The series' primary setting, Dillon, is a small, close-knit community in rural Texas. Particular focus is given to team coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his family, Tami and Julie. The show uses this small town backdrop to address many issues facing contemporary American culture, including family values, school funding, racism, drugs, abortion, and lack of economic opportunities. Peter Berg, the director and writer of the pilot, wanted to keep the story as real as possible; in addition to physical locations, characters in the show were inspired by Berg's observation of local high school students.
Friday night football is important to Signal Mountain and fans fill the stands for every home game.